Chicken producer wins one round, loses another Tuesday, November 9, 2010 by SUSAN MANNOntario chicken farmer Henry Bos says he’s disappointed part of his appeal of provincial quota regulations and policies won’t be heard by the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal.In a Nov. 5 written decision, the tribunal says it won’t hear the Stevensville producer’s appeal of Chicken Farmers of Ontario quota allocation and assurance of supply policies brought in during 2005. But it will hear his appeal of Chicken Farmers’ policies implemented in 2009 that resulted in a moratorium on any new chicken processing contracts between Ontario farmers and out-of-province processors. Existing extra-provincial contractual arrangements, like the one Bos has, were grandfathered as part of the moratorium and not affected. Quebec also implemented a similar moratorium. Bos, who sells his chicken production to processors in both Ontario and Quebec, says he received an inter-provincial licence from Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) in 2004 that entitles him to sell as much of his production as he wants outside his home province. But Ontario and Quebec’s implementation of the moratorium nullifies his entitlement “in the licence that the CFC gives you.”The provincial policy “stepped into the jurisdiction of the federal body, the Chicken Farmers of Canada,” he explains. He’s arguing Chicken Farmers of Ontario doesn’t “have the jurisdiction to issue provincial policies that interfere with a federal licence.”Bos sells 20 per cent of his production in Quebec but the moratorium means he can’t ship any more than that amount or switch his Quebec processors even though he has a CFC licence entitling him to sell as much of his production as he wants outside Ontario. As for the 2005 policies, Chicken Farmers argued the appeal shouldn’t be heard because Bos had knowledge of the policies for more than a year, he wasn’t sufficiently aggrieved and he didn’t have grounds. Bos was on the Chicken Farmers board when the 2005 policies were implemented.Bos says there may be measures available to him to continue challenging the 2005 policies but he’s not going to pursue them. The tribunal made its decision and he accepts it.Chicken Farmers of Ontario declined to comment.The tribunal will hold another prehearing conference Dec. 13. BF Syngenta suspends Ontario seed corn production Sold! Buyer picks up Maple Leaf's Burlington plant for $20 million
Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility Friday, June 27, 2025 Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online
Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost Friday, June 27, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online
Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online
Twelve Ontario Agri-Businesses Receive Funding Support Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Bioenterprise Canada has announced the successful recipients of the second call for proposals under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream. Twelve organizations across Ontario will receive support to bring innovative agri-food solutions to the... Read this article online
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The 2025 Early Career Research Award was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded... Read this article online